This being Thursday, it's time for another edition of Thursday Movie Picks, the blogathon run by Wandering Through the Shelves. Last week was Valentine's Day, but this week we continue the love theme with movies featuring people who were real-life husband and wife. There have actually been quite a few very long marriages in Hollywood, despite all the gossip that's come and gone even since the early days about stars divorcing and remarrying. Among those who hit their golden anniversary were Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward; Ronald and Nancy Reagan; Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis; and Hume Cronyn and Jessica Tandy. So there are a lot of couple to choose from. I didn't choose any of the preceding couples, although I once again went well back in movie history for my couples:
The Millionaire (1931). George Arliss plays a wealthy businessman forced to retire for health reasons. Bored to tears by retirement, he surreptitiously goes into business with service station owner David Manners, who doesn't know his partner's past. When rivals try to compete unfairly, Arliss shows Manners how to beat the rivals at their own game. Playing George's screen wife is his real-life wife Florence; the two were married for 47 years until his death.
The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933). Charles Laughton won an Oscar for playing English King Henry VIII, who was known for marrying six times, although the movie begins with the beheading of wife #2, Anne Boleyn. Henry's fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, was played by Elsa Lanchester, Laughton's real-life wife, and is presented as a confidant of Henry who remained friends even after their divorce. Charles and Elsa were married for 33 years until his death.
The Clock (1945). Judy Garland plays a working girl in New York who runs into soldier on leave Robert Walker. They quickly fall in love and spend a night on the town. But will their love last beyond his furlough? Garland and Walker aren't the married couple here. In one of their adventures on their night out, they meet a milkman played by James Gleason, and help him complete his route. They return home with him, and the character of Gleason's wife is played by his real-life wife Lucile. The two were married 42 years until her death.
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4 comments:
I like the way you went with the theme and The Clock is such a nice surprise to find here. It's a sweet little film and the Gleason's segment is a charming interlude in it.
I have a tough time with George Arliss at times but he is having a good time in The Millionaire and is more relaxed than usual. I'd forgotten that was his wife playing the same in the film.
The Private Life of Henry VIII is a great showcase for Laughton and he deserved his Oscar. Elsa Lanchester is just right as Anne of Cleves as well.
So many choices I decided to do a theme within the theme and used adaptations of Shakespeare comedies which it turned out have been very popular with acting couples through the years.
The Boys from Syracuse (1940)-In the town of Ephesus in ancient Asia Minor two boys from Syracuse, Anthipholus (Allan Jones) and his servant Dromio (Joe Penner), search for their long-lost twins who, for reason of plot confusion, are also named Anthipholus and Dromio. Problems arise when the wife of the Ephesians, Adriana (Irene Hervey) and her servant Luce (Martha Raye), mistake the two strangers for their husbands. Complications and comedy ensue. Loosely based on Shakespeare’s Comedy of Errors. Leads Jones and Hervey were married for over 20 years, their son vocalist Jack Jones is most well-known for singing the theme for The Love Boat.
The Taming of the Shrew (1967)-Wealthy Padua merchant, Baptista (Michael Hordern), has two daughters-the fiery Katherina called Kate (Elizabeth Taylor) and younger sister Bianca (Natasha Pyne). Bianca loves Lucentio (Michael York), and wants to marry but can’t until the thorny Kate does which she shows no inclination to do. On the scene comes the raucous and magnetic Petruchio (Richard Burton) who sees Kate as a challenge and when her father forces them to marry the real combat begins. The infamously battling Burtons are perfectly cast as the warring lead couple.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993)-After a successful campaign against his rebellious brother, Don John (Keanu Reeves), Don Pedro (Denzel Washington) visits the governor of Messina. With him are Benedick (Kenneth Branagh) and Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard). While there, Claudio falls for the governor's daughter, Hero (Kate Beckinsale), while Benedick engages in a war of words with Beatrice (Emma Thompson), the governor's niece. While Don Pedro tries to trick Benedick and Beatrice into falling in love, Don John tries to tear Claudio and Hero apart. Aside from married (at the time) couple Branagh & Thompson and the aforementioned stars the cast also includes Michael Keaton, Imelda Staunton and Emma’s mother Phyllida Law.
The Taming of the Shrew (1929)-Same basic story as the Liz & Dick version above but with substantial cuts (and additional dialogue by Sam Taylor-???? WHY) served as a wrong-headed early sound vehicle for two of the biggest stars of the silent era, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks Sr. who had notoriously left they spouses to marry each other (but whose own marriage was foundering by this point) in an echoing of the whole Brad Pitt Angelina Jolie episode of later years. Static and dated with both stars nearing the ends of their careers (Mary made 3 more films, Doug 4 before retirement) Pickford considered it one of her worst performances (she’s right) but Fairbanks, full of brio is suited to Petruchio and emerges okay. Still you’re missing nothing if you give it the skip.
AW The Clock is so sweet! It's a little weird, but nice, to see Judy in a film where she doesn't sing. She and Walker are both lovely in it.
Love the way you went with the theme, but I haven't seen any of these.
I still have to see a Mr. George Arliss film and I have not seen The Clock but I thought you were going with Judy and the director Vincente. I love your pick with Laughton and Lancester who truly loved each other but as cherished friends since she found out, in a bad way, that he was gay. She told him to get rid of the couch:). Their one scenein this film is just brilliant
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